It is the middle of September and J.R. Smith still doesn’t have a contract for next season. The shooting guard was a huge part of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ success, ultimately helping them win their first championship.
Whether by Smith’s doing or the market around him, the guard has not been linked to any other teams this offseason. Most expect him to eventually re-sign with Cleveland but so far everything has been quiet.
Smith recently spoke with Complex and stated that so far negotiations have not been conducive to what he wants from “a personal standpoint.”
“I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of the Cavs for everything they’ve done for me, and I don’t want them to feel like I’m taking advantage of them. It’s more of a mutual respect thing.”
Smith says he doesn’t want to take advantage of the Cavs but his actions suggest that he’s not standing by to get low-balled either. According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, the shooting guard believes he’s irreplaceable for Cleveland and is negotiating as such:
In numerous conversations with Smith’s camp, they feel he’s proven his worth to the Cavs. Without him, they don’t win the 2016 Finals, and, especially given Cleveland’s precarious situation with the salary cap, would be at a huge disadvantage in their title defense without him — because they have nowhere near the money to replace Smith.
The Cavs are already more than $22 million over the the NBA’s $94 million salary cap. By league rules, they can go over the cap to retain Smith, but couldn’t replace him with a free agent who would command a similar contract.
While neither Smith nor Paul has ever confirmed this figure, it is believed he’s looking for a contract worth about $15 million annually. The two sides may not be arguing over money so much as the length of the deal — the Cavs would likely prefer a shorter contract.
J.R. Smith is not entirely wrong. The Cavs’ cap situation makes it incredibly hard for them to find a replacement for Smith. That’s not to mention that at this point in the offseason, nearly all NBA-ready free agents have been signed. Tristan Thompson effectively used the same strategy last summer to get what was a max deal at the time.
That said, the Cavs have already added some wing depth in Mike Dunleavy. They have Iman Shumpert and Richard Jefferson returning. Smith is important to them, but he may have to find a compromise in order to stay on the team for a long time.
